2024 Is The Year of No

21 Mar 2024 Is The Year of No

I realise it’s been a few minutes since I’ve posted an update. I’ll start with a health update before moving on to the “now what.”

My health is still pretty crappy. I’m currently in the middle of a biologic washout while I wait to start a new biologic. Which is making things pretty touch-and-go. This process is taking much longer than I was led to believe; so much longer that I’m now rationing the meds that were given to me as a stop gap to keep me out of the hospital because there are no more refills. And I’m not sure my skin will be able to handle more topicals without tearing.

At the end of 2023, I was left grappling with what’s next. It was my hope that by the end of the first quarter of 2024, I’d be on a new biologic and things would be in remission and I can begin to look forward. But that hasn’t happened. As I face a very uncertain future, I have decided that 2024 is The Year of No. Meaning, unless a thing enriches my life in some way, I will say “no” to it.

So far, this has resulted in me sending regrets to meetings when I can barely function instead of powering through because, “I made an obligation.” I still have an obligation. But that obligation is to me and The Year of No.

I’m not taking any photography jobs unless the client is willing to pay the necessary increase in fees because I can only do so many jobs per year as each one increases the risk of a catastrophic health outcome.

No more free consultation or education jobs. Yes, I used to do a lot of free consultations and workshops. Now if someone wants my wisdom and years of experience in an area, then at a minimum, offer an honorarium.

When I’m figuring out how I’m going to spend my spoons each day, I’m prioritising making sure I have enough left to exercise because if I don’t, my mental health suffers. And when my mental health gets shitty, my physical health becomes even shittier.

I’ve subscribed to a number of self-care type subscription boxes so that I can have a hobby again that doesn’t involve making me painful, like my old hobbies, such as painting and cross-stitching, do. My poor hands just can’t do it anymore. I do plan to share a bit about each of these things as a series of posts. If you’re not interested in such things, like fragrances and skin care, these will have a clear identifier in the title so that you don’t have to open them in your inbox.

So, while I’m calling this The Year of No, it’s actually The Year of Yes. For the first time in my 48 years on this planet, I’m saying yes to me before I say yes to others, 100 per cent of the time. Let’s see how this goes.